Editor Review

The Kel Tec Sub 2000

When I requested the Sub 2000 I knew it would be fun to shoot. It’s interesting because it’s chambered in 9mm, got a stock, a long barrel, and is collapsible. If you were to bring it to a range someone in another lane would tap you on the shoulder and ask, “What-- What is that?” And you would raise your chin a bit higher to show the little grin on your face and say, “The Kel Tec Sub 2000.” And then mention that it was collapsible and fold it up right in front of him.

It’ll turn a few heads for sure, but I was curious to see how practical it was because just about every review I’ve read described it as a concealed carrygun – they even go so far to suggest that you could fold it up and carry it in a briefcase. BRIEFCASE! Sure it could fit, but it sounds a bit paranoid to me and impractical. If a concealed carry handgun doesn’t suffice to ward off a junky than maybe you should take a trip to the beach, soak in some rays and listen to the waves. It’ll be relaxing.

However, the Sub 2000’s design would be optimal for police because they could carry two weapons chambered for the same cartridge. For example, the Sub 2000 would be advantageous if the cop had a Glock, which a lot do, because both guns use the Glock magazines, so it’ll cut down on gear. Folks did it in the Wild West with the Peacemaker and the Winchester 1873, so why not do it today.

The Sub 2000’s design is a fantastic concept, but its construction doesn’t fit the bill for anything but plinking. And here’s why.

Where I found myself with the Sub 2000?

We pulled up to the range in the early afternoon and set up the equipment (camera, targets, ammo, etc). The August sun had peaked and began favoring the west. It warmed the swampy Wisconsin surroundings, which made the air feel a bit sticky. I was at the bench where I opened the cardboard box containing the Sub 2000 and I began tinkering with it to see how it worked.

By pressing down on the trigger guard the barrel folds up and back, so it looks like a suicide gun. Then it folds back in place by lifting a small lever on the heel of the stock.

I didn’t notice it from the pictures, but the gun is made of a lot of plastic. The frame isn’t a solid mold like a lot of polymer framed-guns, instead it’s actually two halves held together with what looks like wood screws. It kind of reminds me of how toys are constructed.

The rear sight is a non-adjustable plastic ring and upon noticing it I immediately asked myself if there is a metal replacement. It has a fiber optic front sight post and its hood is also plastic, but it’s adjustable for both elevation and windage. What makes up for the sights are the quad Picatinny rails. I imagine the owner of a Sub 2000 would put some type of scope on it (but then it wouldn't be collapsible).

It’s controls are simple to operate and easy to identify. The safety and magazine release are near the trigger and well within reach of the action hand’s thumb. However, the cross bolt safety must be disengaged on the left side and engaged on the right.

I sort of expected the charging handle to be up top behind the rear sight, but instead it’s actually located on the bottom of the stock. It’s just a little knob.

The stock itself is just a steel tube with a plastic butt.

It came with one Glock 17 magazine, which holds ten rounds. Since I planned on shooting a few hundred rounds I knew a second mag would be advantageous. Fortunately, Schranks Smoke n Gun, a gun store we use in Illinois, had a table full of magazines. Unfortunately, I must’ve grabbed a Glock 26 mag because when I inserted it, it didn’t reach the chamber. I didn’t want to waste anytime, so I quickly unloaded the mag and stuffed the rounds into my pocket.

I stood 50 feet away from the target and began shooting in the standing position. There was minimal recoil as one would expect, and while just messing around I shot a group smaller than my palm. I loaded and unloaded a few more times before I went back to the bench to field strip it.

I had spent most of my morning researching the Sub 2000 and reading reviews about it. One reviewer, on video, demonstrated just how easy the Sub 2000 was to disassemble.

I spread out my cleaning towel and then attempted to punch the pin with my finger, but it was still too tight to remove without assistance (its loosened over time though). So I used a small screwdriver and removed it without a hitch, but its guts didn’t immediately fall out. I had to pull back on the charging handle until the handle actually slid out. I was then able to dump the internal components onto the table.

I couldn’t tell if the bolt design was innovative or cheap. I favored the latter (either way it functioned flawlessly, so whatever works). The guide rod looks like two industrial strength paper clips wrapped in a spring and the steel bolt was two halves that slid together like puzzle pieces.

Now I went ahead and pulled the trigger while its guts were out. Big mistake. There’s no external control except for the charging handle to reset it. Unfortunately I didn’t have any tools with me long and solid enough to actually push the hammer down, so I tried to take it apart by loosening the screws. Even worse idea. Maybe it was because it was a new gun, but removing the screws didn’t really do anything. The only thing I successfully did by loosening the screws was disable the magazine release. So I quickly corrected that problem. I went back to try and punch the hammer down and after an hour or so of using various sticks, Chris Callahan sacrificed his umbrella by breaking the handle in two so I would have something sturdy enough to reset the trigger. It worked.

I tell you this because loosening the screws that are in-line with the trigger also loosens the trigger (imagine that). My attempt to resolve one problem created a new one. Fortunately it was an easy fix. In the end, all I had to do was nudge the trigger forward and tighten the screws.

Needless to say, I now had intimate knowledge of the Sub 2000.

Reliability, Accuracy and Handling

The Sub 2000 cycled flawlessly and, because of the set up, was dead on accurate within 100 feet, which is as far as our range allowed us to go. I was able to get groups ranging from 0.75” to 1.5” in the kneeling and prone. But Kel-Tec and other sources suggest the Sub 2000’s effective range is 150 yards. If you adjust the sights accordingly or have a scope I think that range is doable.

The one real criticism I have of the Sub 2000 is if you do use the factory sights they’re really low. You really have to dip and press your cheek into the stock, which is just a steel tube, to see. By the end of the day my cheek puffed up a bit.

The Skinny

Ultimately, I think those who would buy the Sub 2000 do so because it’s fun as hell. It’s inexpensive at around 400 bucks, which puts it in the price range of a lot of nice .22s. In my opinion, it’s actually more fun than a .22. I say that because I can get a hundred-round box of target 9mm for $25 – a little bit more than .22 – but, of course, it’s a bigger round.

Because of its size, I think its impractical as a concealed carry self defense gun for the average Joe. Home defense, sure thing. Whatever floats your boat. For police though, its construction just isn’t up to par. But when I consider price, reliability, accuracy, handling and price of ammo, I rate the Sub 2000 very high as a fun gun.